


Peach Soda

by innsjovide



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Human AU, Tea shop AU, idk if everyone's gonna be in this, jaspearl - Freeform, more tags to come, same au as lav tea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-24 11:25:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19722724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innsjovide/pseuds/innsjovide
Summary: Jasper's mundane, unhappy life is turned around when she meets Pearl, an elegant and wistful barista who's doing all she can to put the past behind her.  The two of them share a long and tender journey as they learn to accept the past for what it is and move on.





	1. Spring Sun

**Author's Note:**

> hey quick note the fic's jasper's pov

The sun beat down on the back of my neck. Despite my choice of wearing a simple white tank top and shorts, the mid-april weather obviously had it out for me.

I had set out on this pleasant spring day with no real intentions other than the fact that Amethyst convinced me that I needed to get some air. Throughout my two years living here, this was the first time I really saw the city.

It was a small, quaint seaside town, full of homey cafes and comic-book stores. Since it was springtime, many of the shops and houses had set out brightly colored flowers- lavender, peonies, even a few roses. The sight of the roses brought back memories of her. Of the accident.

I shook my head and kept on walking through the streets. A soft breeze carried the scent of the ocean through the street, reminding me that I do, in fact, live close to the ocean. The breath of wind sent flower petals through the air and rang wind chimes, making the small backstreet I was walking through even more calming. 

The sides of the street were lined with small shops, with small alleyways between them. One shop in particular caught my eye- a small, quaint tea shop. The chalkboard sign outside the door read ‘Crystal Gem Teahouse’ and listed off a variety of specials in colorful chalk. A pink wind chime hung from the terrace, and the entire area was decorated with a multitude of potted plants. It seemed like a place that Peridot would recommend to me. 

Intrigued, I opened the door. The inside of the shop was every bit as charming as the outside. A soft breeze drifted through the windows, and the entire shop smelled like herbs and fruit.

“Welcome to the Crystal Gem Teahouse, how can I help you?” Greeted a pleasant voice from behind me. I turned around to face the counter, and the almost-ethereal being behind it.

She was slim and fairly tall, with pale skin and coppery hair. Her eyes were a pastel blue and seemed both piercing and calm. She looked like some sort of fae that you aren’t supposed to make deals with. 

I caught my stare and quickly looked up at the menus. “Uh…. I’ve never been here before… I’ll have a peach tea.”

The barista smiled. “Great! I’ll have that for you in just a moment.”

As the barista prepared the tea I had ordered, I sat down at a nearby table. 

“So, are you new around here?” She asked.

“No, I’ve lived here for a couple years now” I responded. “I just never really explored the place, ya know?”

“Mmh.” The barista nodded as she poured tea into a cup. “By the way, my name’s Pearl.” 

“Pearl..” I repeated. “My name’s Jasper.”

“That’s a nice name.” Pearl said, placing the cup down on the counter. 

I stepped up to the counter. “How much will that be?” I asked, fumbling through my pockets for my wallet. 

“Oh, it’s on the house.” Pearl chuckled. “My gift to you.” 

“Thanks.” I said as I took the cup of tea. 

“Will you be coming back soon?” Pearl called after me as I left the shop.

“Sure, I’ll probably be back tomorrow!” I said as I closed the door behind me. As I walked back to my apartment, I drank the tea I had been gifted. It tasted sweet, kind of like springtime.


	2. Sugar Crush

The (roughly) twenty-four hours that passed in between my visits with Pearl seemed to drag on for an eternity. But finally, after what seemed like a year, I was there, standing outside the Crystal Gem Teahouse. 

I walked into the small shop. It looked nearly the same as it had yesterday, save for Peridot sweeping the floor.

“Jasper!” She greeted in her overly-enthusiastic voice. “Welcome to the Crystal Gem Teahouse!”

“Hey.” I responded in my most casual voice.

“So,” Peridot continued as she resumed sweeping. “What brings you here?”

I glanced to the side. “Is Pearl here?”

“Pearl?” Peridot asked. “She’s in the back. I’ll go get her.” 

As Peridot left into the back room of the shop, I sat down at one of the tables. In just moments, Peridot returned, accompanied by Pearl.

She was wearing the same uniform as the day before, but today had decorated her apron with star pins on the straps. Pearl was holding two glasses of iced tea and had a pleasant smile on her face.

Once our eyes met, Pearl walked over to the table I was sitting at. She sat down, handed me one of the glasses of tea, and took a sip of her own. After a moment of us drinking tea in silence, Pearl broke the ice by asking, “So, you know Peridot?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m her girlfriend’s cousin. We’ve pretty good friends.”

Pearl nodded. “That’s nice. Peridot’s a hard worker, though she can be a little… bossy.” Her voice lowered a bit with the last word. 

“Yeah, it gets kinda annoying.” I nodded in agreement. After a moment of shared awkward silence, we both broke out laughing.

After our laughter had died down, I took another sip of my tea. “This tea is really good!” I commented, lifting the glass a bit. 

“Thanks!” Pearl smiled. “It’s you’re same order from yesterday. The peach tea, remember?”

I nodded. “Y’know, I’m not really that big of a fan of tea, but this is great.”

“Oh really?” Pearl asked, intrigued. “Are you more of a coffee person, then?”

“Nah, I never really got into any of that.”

“Mmh.” Pearl nodded. 

Another moment of awkward silence followed. I caught myself watching Pearl’s angelic figure. The light from the open windows hit her in a way that made her look ethereal, like a goddess of springtime. 

“Jasper,” Pearl asked softly, looking into her glass. “Why’d you come back to see me?’

“I don’t know.” I replied. “I had a free afternoon, and you asked me too. Why’d you do that?”

Pearl smiled. “You just… seemed interesting. Everyone keeps telling me I need to move on from the past and take action, so I guess that’s what I did.”

“Well I’m glad you did.” I blurted out. “Sorry, it’s just that… I want to get to know you better. Can I have your number?” 

Pearl smiled. “Sure!”

**Author's Note:**

> yay new fic is officially a thing!


End file.
